MGA’s federally negotiated Facilities & Administration (F&A) rate is 45% for on-campus and 15% for off-campus projects. It is to be applied to all proposals regardless of the funder unless the funder states in the announcement or within their written terms and conditions that a reduced or zero rate is required.  All other situations of waiving or reducing F&A must be approved by the Provost

All grant proposals must be routed for internal approval before submission may occur.  Our office is here to assist you in completing the internal review and approval process.  After your proposal has been approved internally, our office will also assist you with submission of your grant proposal to the funding agency.  It is important to include this internal process when developing your proposal preparation timeline.  Please complete the Notice of Intent to Apply Form at least five business days prior to the submission deadline, preferrably sooner.

Only MGA’s authorizing officials, the President or the Provost, can formally accept a grant or sponsored project.  Award notices from federal agencies are usually directed to the authorizing official, with a copy to the PI.  With the exception of the President or his/her designee, no one is authorized to accept any funds or sign any contract, thereby legally binding the university to the terms and conditions of the grant or contractual document.   Once an award notice is received, ORSP will coordinate the acceptance and signature process.

PLEASE NOTE: PI/PD, department chairpersons, and deans are not authorized to sign award documents on behalf of the university. All original official award documents, if received by the PI/PD, should be forwarded immediately to ORSP for processing. ORSP will consult with a PI/PD if the award differs from the submitted proposal, so that the award may be accepted, modified through negotiation with the sponsor, or rejected.

Negotiations:  In some cases, an award may be issued by the agency after a series of negotiations that may involve revisions to the scope of the project, period of performance, and/or proposed budget. ORSP, working with Legal Affairs, is the authorized agent for negotiating such revisions.  If revisions are necessary, ORSP will not make any changes to the project or scope without the consent of the PI/PD.  The acceptance of a revised scope of work, period of performance or budget is a judgment that only the PI/PD can make; it is not a judgment or condition that may be unilaterally imposed by the granting agency.

If the agency requires the submission of a revised work plan or budget, this must be prepared by the PI/PD with assistance from ORSP and submitted for institutional endorsement prior to forwarding the revisions to the agency.  Revisions, either programmatic or budgetary, which represent substantial changes to the original proposal must be reviewed and approved by ORSP and MGA administration in the same manner as a new proposal.

If the grant agency contacts the PI/PD about revisions, please contact ORSP for guidance and the appropriate documents to use.

Establishing an account for an award is managed by the Office of Finance. Upon receipt of an official award, ORSP staff will communicate essential award and budget details necessary for an account and send a memo requesting a project account number from the Office of Finance. To protect the PI/PD and the university, expenditures should not be incurred against a sponsored project until ORSP has received and processed the original award notification from the sponsor and a project account number has been assigned by the Office of Finance.

Reallocating funds within budget categories is typically allowed by most agencies, but certain agencies may impose limitations on changes to the approved budget. When seeking approval for re-budgeting from sponsoring agencies, it will be necessary to submit a formal written request along with a valid justification to ORSP (copy Office of Finance). Some agencies may grant the PI/PD and institution discretion to make such changes. In these instances, it is essential to communicate any changes to ORSP (copy Office of Finance) whenever re-budgeting is required. Federal grants typically do not require prior agency approval for re-budgeting if it affects less than 25% of the award budget. However, all other sources of funding will be assessed according to the terms and conditions outlined in the award agreement.

The award agreement's terms and conditions will outline any budgetary constraints imposed by the sponsoring entity. In cases where re-budgeting conditions are not explicitly addressed or are unclear in the award agreement, the PI/PD should seek guidance and clarification from ORSP and the sponsoring agency.

In certain situations, it may become necessary to appoint a new PI/PD. Prior to designating a new PI/PD, the sponsoring entity must be contacted and their approval obtained. If the PI/PD deems it necessary to nominate a replacement, such requests should be accompanied by endorsements from the department chairperson and the dean. In cases where the PI/PD holds the position of dean, the request should be endorsed by the Provost. When seeking the sponsorship agency's approval for the appointment of a new PI/PD, the request should typically include the rationale for the change and the curriculum vitae/biosketch of the designated PI/PD. These requests need to be submitted to ORSP for institutional endorsement before being forwarded to the sponsor.

ORSP, working with the Office of Finance, plays a crucial role in expediting sub-award agreements by aiding in document preparation and forwarding them to the sub-awardee for all sub-awards specified in the approved award budget during the initial award setup. In case additional sub-awards become necessary, it is imperative for the PI/PD to promptly inform ORSP.

Once a portion of the prime award is sub-awarded to a sub-recipient, various post-award obligations arise, which both the PI/PD and the university must adhere to. Monitoring the sub-recipient entails regular communication between the PI/PD and the sub-recipient. The PI/PD bears the responsibility of ensuring that the required deliverables are met and collaborates with Financial Services to facilitate reimbursements to the sub-recipient institution.

A sub-award, often referred to as a sub-contract, is essentially an award issued under a prime sponsored research award to procure specific services or program-related tasks. The issuance of sub-awards under federal prime awards is subject to compliance with federal regulations. All sub-awards must adhere to the terms and conditions outlined in the prime sponsored research award, as well as the standard purchasing requirements of MGA.

There are two fundamental types of sub-award arrangements:

1. When MGA is the recipient of a sub-award: In this scenario, MGA is linked to a larger proposal (prime award) submitted by another institution or group of institutions. The prime award is granted to another institution or group, with a portion of it subsequently sub-awarded to MGA for the fulfillment of specific tasks within the broader proposal. Financially, the management of funds in such cases is treated as an independent project, even though the PI/PD and MGA may have specific technical and financial reporting obligations to the larger project. Sub-awards to MGA undergo the same internal review process as standard grant and contract proposals and must be processed through ORSP and the Office of Finance. Faculty members do not have the authority to sign agreements on behalf of MGA.

2. When MGA is the grantor: When work to be carried out under an MGA-sponsored research award is outsourced to a third party, MGA becomes the grantor. This occurs when resources or expertise for specific tasks are not readily available at MGA. The intended use of the third party is typically outlined in the approved proposal. Adding new sub-awards to an ongoing project requires prior approval from the sponsor. Any inquiries regarding sub-awards should be directed to ORSP staff. Once the proposal is awarded, ORSP staff will draft a sub-award agreement that reflects the proposal's specifics (budget, scope of work, etc.), the sponsor's terms and conditions, and MGA's policies and procedures. Since sub-award agreements delegate a portion of the programmatic effort to another organization, they are responsible for managing the technical and administrative aspects of their scope of work and providing progress reports to the MGA PI/PD, along with financial reports to ORSP.

Each Notice of Award should be reviewed by the PI/PD and ORSP for the presence of sub-awards. If a sub-award is specified in the sponsor's Notice of Award, MGA with assistance from the Principal Investigator, is responsible for verifying the sub-award recipient's eligibility to receive federal funding. All necessary documentation will be electronically stored as evidence for the record.

MGA acknowledges its commitment to uphold the terms and conditions of an award upon accepting the grant. Ensuring adherence to university policies and sponsor regulations falls under the purview of the PI/PD and the Office of Finance. A diligent monitoring of all expenses is imperative to maintain compliance with these established guidelines.

The Office of Finance will evaluate all expenditure requests to verify that purchases align with the project's objectives and are reasonable, allowable, and cost-allocable. This process applies to various expenditure categories, such as e-procurement requests, operational expenses, travel reimbursements, and consultant contracts on sponsored projects, all of which necessitate MGA approval before processing by purchasing and financial services. Furthermore, when contracting services are involved, the MGA will conduct due diligence by checking state and federal clearinghouses to ensure that the vendor is not subject to suspension or debarment from government business. Adequate documentation will be maintained either in printed or electronic format as evidence for the project record.

The project director assumes responsibility for monitoring expenditures through PeopleSoft and conducting reviews for accuracy. Managing the budget in strict accordance with sponsor and university regulations regarding allowable, allocable, and attributable expenses, as specified in the approved budget, is also a key task for the project director. The PI/PD is required to be well-versed in and compliant with the fiscal management guidelines of both the sponsoring entity and the university.

Allowabilty of Expenditures: MGA follows Federal guidelines determining the allowability of charges to a Federal grant. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.302 and 2 C.F.R. § 200.403 factors affecting allowability. It is the policy of MGA to adhere to all fiscal management compliance requirements set forth by Federal guidelines and funder terms & conditions.

MGA strongly encourages all faculty and staff to actively seek external funding for their research, creative projects, and outreach efforts. When such funding includes provisions for supporting faculty salaries, the first priority is to allocate it toward summer pay, as stipulated by BOR Policy 8.3.12.3, which limits summer pay to no more than 33-⅓% of regular academic year salary. In line with federal regulations (200.430(h)(2)), it is essential to maintain consistency across externally funded awards, ensuring that academic year salary charged does not exceed the proportionate share of the Institutional Base Salary (IBS) for that period. This principle applies universally to all faculty members, regardless of whether they hold 12 or 10-month contracts. IBS is defined as the annual compensation provided by an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) for an individual's appointment, irrespective of their allocation to research, teaching, administration, or other duties. To reiterate, during the regular contract periods, faculty or full-time staff are not eligible to receive additional pay beyond their IBS/annual salary from external funding sources.

In the academic year, external funding may lead to savings in faculty and staff salaries within their home department. Faculty members have the option to utilize these salary savings for course buyouts (where applicable) or for reallocating resources to support allowable expenses such as travel, supplies, and minor equipment. Both of these alternatives require written approval from the department chair and dean at the time of application.

Please note that stipend payments to faculty members for additional work conducted during the academic year for the University System of Georgia (USG) are exempt from the aforementioned policy.

The Office of Research & Sponsored Projects (ORSP) provides support for research and sponsored activities, emphasizing the avoidance of conflicts, bias, and foreign influence. Principal Investigators/Program Directors (PI/PDs) and Senior/Key Personnel are required to maintain a high level of transparency regarding their personal financial matters, which includes those of their spouse and dependent children and disclose any potential conflicts of interest to ORSP. Furthermore, they must be forthcoming about any financial support, affiliations with international institutions, and available resources. It is crucial to keep this information up-to-date throughout the duration of an award. Training concerning conflicts of interest are available through ORSP.

No Principal Investigator (PI), department head, faculty member, or staff of Middle Georgia State University should sign a sponsored project proposal, grant, or contract on behalf of the institution. The sole authority for signing these documents rests with the university's authorized official, specifically the President and those individuals to whom this authority has been delegated. This protocol does not prohibit PIs, department heads, and other individuals from signing internal processing documents or the proposal or award, as may be required by the funding agency. However, the proposal or award document must also bear the signature of the authorized official. All sponsored project documents, including but not limited to proposals, grants, and contracts, that necessitate the signature of the authorized official must be processed through the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects.

For an agreement to hold validity and enforceability, it is crucial that it be signed by an individual with specific statutory delegation to sign on behalf of the university. Consequently, if a sponsored program proposal or award lacks the signature of the authorized official, the agreement is rendered void and unenforceable.

This emphasis on appropriate signatory authority serves two primary objectives:

1. Safeguarding both the University and individual university employees against potential legal liabilities.

2. Ensuring compliance with university, system, state, federal, and private regulations and requirements while conducting research and providing services that are inherent in sponsored programs.

Awards come with stipulations and requirements that often accompany the PIs' Award Notice. All federal awards are subject to overarching federal regulations. Certain awards feature specific terms and conditions tailored to the sponsoring agency or grant mechanism. It is crucial for PIs to acquaint themselves with these terms and conditions to effectively oversee the award and adhere to the associated regulations. For instance, PIs should be well-versed in the guidelines pertaining to modifying the initial proposal, such as reallocating funds, extending without additional costs, or carrying over funds from one year to the next, as well as the reporting obligations and procedures throughout the award duration. The ORSP and Office of Finance staff are available to assist PIs in determining the terms and conditions specific to their individual awards.

Transferring to another institution: If a Principal Investigator (PI) or Project Director (PD) plans to move to a different institution and wants to continue their sponsored projects there, certain steps should be taken. The transfer of a grant or contract can only proceed with the agreement of an authorized representative at the new institution. There may be cases where the university decides to retain the projects and designate an alternative PI/PD, but this necessitates approval from the sponsoring agency. It is important to note that not all sponsors automatically grant such transfers. Any arrangements for transferring a grant should be coordinated through the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP), which will then follow the procedures outlined by the agency to release the award.

Transferring from another institution: If a faculty member is joining MGA from another institution and wishes to transfer a sponsored project, the approval of the home institution and the sponsoring agency is required. Before submitting the transfer request to the sponsoring agency, the request should go through an internal approval process at MGA administered by ORSP.